Heretofore, there have been many types of elastic ligature dispensers, including the type that have held a plurality of individual elastic ligatures on a wire having one end formed for easy grasp by a person, and the type molded integrally with a support member that can be grasped by the hand and which requires separation of the ring from the support member by breaking a molded connection. Also, it has been well known to merely provide in a small plastic pouch a plurality of individual elastic ring-shaped ligatures that may be removed one at a time.
These ligature dispensers or packages have had one common defect in that they compromise the integrity of cleanliness and other hygienic conditions, inasmuch as they expose the ligatures to engagement by the hand of the user and to other contamination possibilities.
Moreover, where an instrument is used to apply the ligature to the orthodontic system, difficulty is often encountered in manipulating the instrument relative to the elastic in order to load the elastic on the instrument and properly engage the elastic so that it can thereafter be transferred and applied to an orthodontic system.
Another disadvantage of the molded dispensers which have the elastic ligatures molded to a support member is that difficulty may be encountered in breaking the molded connection to the support member.